San Antonio native, Navy serviceman reunited with girlfriend on Ellen

Noah Copeland, from San Antonio, reunited with his girlfriend, Maura Gonsalves, on the Ellen show.

Noah Copeland, from San Antonio, reunited with his girlfriend, Maura Gonsalves, on the Ellen show.

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Noah Copeland, from San Antonio, reunited with his girlfriend, Maura Gonsalves, on the Ellen show.

Noah Copeland, from San Antonio, reunited with his girlfriend, Maura Gonsalves, on the Ellen show.

San Antonio native, Navy serviceman reunited with girlfriend on Ellen

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Noah Copeland, a former Brandeis High School football standout, surprised his girlfriend on "Ellen" this week after being deployed for a year.

Ellen Degeneres worked with Copeland, currently serving in the U.S. Navy, to plan a reunion with Maura Gonsalves, who is a "superfan" of the show. Copeland wrote to Ellen, explaining how he's been deployed and without his girlfriend for a year.

He said Gonsalves was living alone in San Diego but her devotion to the show kept her spirits high.

Degeneres invited the unsuspecting Gonsalves to the show and said she would give her tickets to her birthday special. To Gonsalves' surprise, it was Copeland who walked out onto the stage with flowers, her tickets and a big hug.

The couple explained how Copeland has been stationed in Diego Garcia, a remote base on an island in the Indian Ocean, where Gonsalves could not visit and the sailor could not leave.

They had also planned a vacation to Puerto Rico, but decided to donate their trip funds to Ricky Martin's relief fund in the wake of the Hurricane Maria's destruction.

Degeneres had another surprise up her sleeve — a six-night trip to a resort in Hawaii.

Copeland's local supporters, like the Brandeis Athletic Booster Club, sent the two well wishes and "saluted" them for their sacrifices.

"All grown up young man," Rudy Herrera commented on the club's Facebook post. You are making the universe work in your favor."

This isn't the first time Ellen has recognized military families from the Alamo City. Last November, Ellen invited Vanessa Villegas and her 5-year-old daughter, Ellie, on the show for a video reunion with her dad, U.S. Army Pvt. David Villegas.

Madalyn Mendoza is a digital reporter for MySA.com. Read more of her stories here.| mmendoza@mysa.com | Twitter: @MaddySkye